§ Mr. GapesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the United Kingdom will continue to impose an arms embargo on Afghanistan in line with the EU' s Common Position of 17 December 1996. [35501]
§ Mr. FatchettWe remain committed to the EU arms embargo against Afghanistan which the UK interprets as covering all goods and technology entered on Part III to schedule 1 to the Export of Goods Order 1994, as amended.
Following consultation with this Department and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry recently approved a licence for the export of mine clearance equipment for use by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Assistance 680W to Afghanistan in its demining operations. The grant of this licence is for humanitarian purposes, and is consistent with the purpose of the embargo.